"I may hold hope in that direction, but no," Erland chuckled.
"I didn't think you'd switched allegiances again so quickly," Wylend said and came to stare into my eyes.
"I have not, my King, although I still have desires where this one is concerned." What had he meant by switching allegiances? I was going to have to do a little digging myself.
"Is this the new Queen of Le-Ath Veronis?" Wylend stood back, a look of triumph on his face.
"Yes, my King, but there is something else that you must know about her," Erland vibrated with excitement.
"I guessed correctly!" Wylend seemed quite happy with his skill at this game. "Welcome, Queen Lissa," he took my hand and kissed it.
"My King, may we retire to your study so I may give you the last part of my information in private?" Erland asked.
"Of course," Wylend pointed us toward a small doorway off to the side and the two uniformed guards led the way. Wylend strode before us and Erland and I followed at his heels.
The study was luxury itself, with priceless antique maps hanging on one wall while another wall held a huge painting of a seascape. It made me think of Edwin Church's depiction of Niagara Falls—the handling of the water was very similar. The painting was breathtaking; I wouldn't mind having something like it hanging on the walls of my suite.
Wylend sat and then asked us to sit in chairs before his huge, elaborately carved dark wood desk. "Now, Lord Morphis, what news do you bring to me?"
"Do you remember Narissa?" Erland asked. How had he gotten that name? I hadn't given it to him.
Wylend's face went dark with anger. "I remember. She was such a temptress when I met her."
"And then she turned into the biggest bitch ever," Erland nodded in agreement. He was acting as if he knew her—had met her, even. I was now staring at Erland in alarm.
"Tell me what happened when she left, Wylend." Erland coaxed. I had no idea what was going on between these two. Erland was behaving as if he and Wylend were close—closer than I imagined. I was trying to sort that out without Looking—I felt it would be rude if I tried.
"That bitch was pregnant with my child," Wylend was even angrier, now. "I know what her kind do with their quarter-blood children. She was half; I determined that for myself. She took my child away, Erland. I cursed her for it, but she took it anyway, out of spite. I had no way to find it, they gate so often, and the Elemaiya are generally beyond even our skills to track. My child is dead now and I have not been able to produce another." Wylend was acting as if he truly cared about that. It made the breath catch in my throat.
"I have information for you, my King," Erland left his seat and knelt ceremoniously before Wylend's desk. "Your child is not dead," he announced. "I was not able to bring him immediately," Erland lifted his head and gazed up at Wylend. "But your granddaughter sits before you now."
I always knew Erland had a flair for the dramatic. He certainly pulled out all the stops for this announcement.
"Erland Morphis, get up from there this instant!" I smacked his shoulder, causing Wylend to roar with laughter.
* * *
"Where is Lissa?" Amara asked Gardevik, who'd come back inside the suite.
"Erland Morphis came and squirreled her away," Gardevik didn't know how he felt about that. Griffin still looked pale but Cleo was tending him and he was better than before.
"He took her to Karathia," Griffin leaned on his granddaughters as he stood. "If Cleo hadn't already handed out a sentence to my mother, I might be tempted to do something myself," Griffin heaved a weary sigh.
"Em-pah, this is no different from Lissa finding out she had a father," Cleo rubbed his back affectionately. "Or Kyler and I when we found out our father was still alive. We love Daddy and we wouldn't trade him for anything."
"I hope my father enjoys a good laugh," Griffin muttered. "His son, older than he is."
"How can that be?" Gardevik was curious, now.
"The ones who approached me with an invitation to become the first Saa Thalarr came forward in time, when I was dying. I was taken back to the time when the Ra'Ak began to take the worlds of light, over a hundred thousand years ago. My father, Wylend Arden, is King of Karathia and twenty-seven thousand years old. I am nearly four times his age." Griffin snorted at the irony.
"Did you ever have the abilities the Warlocks have?" Gardevik asked.
"They have a rite, similar to that of any other Wizard clan. The ability must be wakened by an elder. Ask my granddaughters—they have both been through the ritual for the Grey House Wizards. This is so any stray children will not cause chaos if they are reared away from the family of Wizards or Warlocks." Griffin rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. "It also wakes the near immortality. Otherwise, they live a normal life span and die. No wonder Lissa exceeded all expectations," he muttered. "She was a quarter Bright Elemaiya and a quarter Karathian Witch."
* * *
"You are truly my granddaughter?" Wylend had moved Erland away and now sat in the chair next to mine, holding my hands in his.
"It looks that way," I said. "Griffin went into shock, I think, when Narissa admitted who his father is."
"How is he still alive?" Wylend asked.
"He was the first Saa Thalarr," I said, gazing into eyes that were so much like my father's, sprinkled with gold flecks.
"My child became the first Saa Thalarr?" Wylend sounded proud.
"He is now called the Oracle," I said. "Because he has foresight that none of the others have. He was a King Vampire before he was made Saa Thalarr."
"And you became the Queen Vampire of Le-Ath Veronis," Wylend nodded. Erland sat casually on the corner of Wylend's desk, swinging a foot leisurely as he listened to Wylend's conversation with me.
"Yeah. That's me, all right." I couldn't keep the sarcasm from my voice. I was thankful Gabron had cleared my calendar. The day was becoming more complicated than I'd anticipated.
"Can you set up a meeting with your father for me?" Wylend was almost begging. Here he was, King of Karathia and perhaps the most powerful Warlock on the planet, begging for a meeting with his son. I felt dizzy, for a moment. Things were turned upside down and inside out for a few fleeting seconds. Narissa, my grandmother, should have been the loving soul and the Warlock should have been the cold and indifferent parent. Exactly the opposite was true.